A case involving an altercation between two police officers at the New Mexico Wine Festival at Bernalillo last month has been turned over to the District Attorney�s office in Sandoval County for review.

According to the State Police incident report, Rio Rancho police officer John Francis and Bernalillo police officer Anthony Ortega, who is listed in the report as George Ortega, were involved in a confrontation at the wine festival.

Ortega told State Police officers that he was aware that Francis is a Rio Rancho police officer, but did not know he was on duty and working the event. Francis was working in plain clothes as part of an underage drinking/DWI task force, according to the report.

Ortega missed a mandatory briefing prior to starting his shift that would have made him aware of Francis working at the event. Ortega thought Francis was off-duty and fighting with other attendees.

Ortega then placed Francis in an arm hold and asked him to step back. Francis repeatedly lifted up his shirt to display his badge.

Francis was trying to defuse what appeared to be a domestic dispute that was escalating at the event, according to information provided to State Police by a Rio Rancho police officer who was partnered with Francis during the event.

Ortega missing the briefing and Francis not continuously displaying his badge created confusion and misinterpretation between the two officers, the State Police investigation concluded, according to the report.